Viness Pillay FAAS (1970–2020) was a South African professor of pharmacy at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.[1][2] He was the Director of the Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform (WADDP), a member of African Academy of Sciences, Academy of Translational Medicine Professionals (ATMP) and a beneficiary of the 2013 Olusegun Obasanjo Innovative Award for developing the RapiDiss Wafer Technology as an innovative way to provide effective anti-retroviral (ARV) drug therapy to children afflicted with HIV/AIDS.[3][4][5][6][7]
Professor Viness Pillay | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1970 |
| Died | 24 July 2020 |
| Citizenship |  South Africa |
| Occupation | Pharmacist |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | National Research Foundation (NRF) |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg |
Education
editHe obtained his master's degree in pharmacy from the University of Durban-Westville (South Africa) in 1996 and bagged his PhD at Temple University in 2000 as a Fulbright Scholar.[6]
Scientific contributions
editHe developed RapiDiss Wafer Technology as an innovative way to provide effective anti-retroviral (ARV) drug therapy to children afflicted with HIV/AIDS. He developed the world's fastest dissolving matrix for the onset of rapid drug action in the human body, a neural device for therapeutic intervention in spinal cord injury and novel wound healing technologies. He also came up with his own molecular modelling paradigms called PEiGOR Theory - Pillay's Electro-influenced Geometrical Organization-Reorganization. This theory was published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics.[6][7][5][3]
Fellowship and membership
editHe was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Science of South Africa in 2012. He was also a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, the New York Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences of South Africa, and The Biomaterials Network.[6]
Awards and honours
editHe was a beneficiary of National Research Foundation (NRF) Awards.[8]
Death
editPillay died on 24 July 2020 after a lengthy illness. He left behind a wife and a daughter.[1][2]
References
edit- ^ a b Yahya, Choonara (2020-12-01). "Professor Viness Pillay (1970–2020) : obituary". SA Pharmaceutical Journal. 87 (5): 48–49. hdl:10520/ejc-mp_sapj-v87-n5-a16.
- ^ a b "African Academy of Sciences loses a Fellow | The AAS". www.aasciences.africa. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
- ^ a b "Professor Viness Pillay wins the Olusegun Obasanjo Prize – ACGT". acgt.co.za. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
- ^ Bawa, Priya; Pradeep, Priyamvada; Kumar, Pradeep; Choonara, Yahya E.; Modi, Girish; Pillay, Viness (2016-12-01). "Multi-target therapeutics for neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders". Drug Discovery Today. 21 (12): 1886–1914. doi:10.1016/j.drudis.2016.08.001. ISSN 1359-6446. PMID 27506871.
- ^ a b "Nigeria: Pillay Is Winner of Obasanjo Prize for Innovation".
- ^ a b c d "Pillay Viness | The AAS". www.aasciences.africa. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
- ^ a b "Viness Pillay | The AAS". www.aasciences.africa. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
- ^ Rapoo, Tsholanang (2019-09-28). "Witsies recognised for scientific research and community impact". Wits Vuvuzela. Retrieved 2022-11-19.